The New York Giants, after a banner offseason filled with key free agent additions and a solid showing at the NFL draft, are finally getting some respect in the preseason rankings.
Veteran NFL reporter and columnist Peter King has Big Blue ranked 20th in his latest offseason power rankings.
20. N.Y. Giants (6-10)
GM Dave Gettleman’s free-agency spree reminds me of Jerry Reese’s last-gasp spree in 2016, when the Giants spent huge to buy a defense — Janoris Jenkins, Olivier Vernon, Snacks Harrison — and rode that to 11 wins and a wild-card berth. But it was unsustainable, and Reese paid with his job, and the Giants are 18-46 since. So now, with a win-now edict in effect from co-owner John Mara, the Giants spent $111 million in tight cap times for a gamebreaking wideout, Kenny Golladay, and a good corner, Adoree’ Jackson, to pair with James Bradberry. This can’t be a one-year fix, but rather the start of a good run for young quarterback Daniel Jones (the jury’s still semi-out on him) and a big piece for a defense that showed signs of being a playoff unit last year.
For Jones, Gettleman could haven’t done more for him. Adding ultra-solid Kyle Rudolph for a year or two alongside Evan Engram gives the Giants tight end depth. Drafting Kadarius Toney in the first round give the Giants a corps of wideouts that could be a top-10 group if they perform to their résumés.
Very interesting, and important, year for a team that’s been too disappointing for too long. Did you know this season’s the 10-year anniversary of New York’s last playoff win? That win, of course, was over the Patriots in the Super Bowl. But that deodorant has worn off. Jones will feel the heat, as will Gettleman, if the Giants stumble out of the gate.
Yeah, we get it. It’s been a long decade littered by poor drafts, inconsistent leadership and bad luck. The Giants need to have a winning record at the least in 2021 and finally challenge for the playoffs (last year’s NFC East title race shouldn’t really be any indication of progress due to all team having losing records).
They need to have a 9-8 year or better in 2021 or they’ll be a lot more questions and maybe even a change at the top.